This has definitely not been a short trip, this has been a long journey!
When I was 11 years old I asked Jesus to be my savior and forgive me of all of my sins. When I was 14 I went on my very first mission trip to Mexico, and I fell in love. I fell in love with God in a whole new way. I fell in love with missions work. I fell in love with the Mexican people. And I fell in love with traveling. When I was 15 I spent most of my summer working with some missionaries in Mexico. When I was 17 my family spent the summer in Nicaragua building relationships and a church building. When I was 18 I went away to Baptist Bible College with the intent to finish college and get to the mission field however I could! When I was 23 I graduated college with a degree in Elementary Education and a new found love for all things chldren's ministry. And there I was, set on finding a children's ministry job, in the states when I started talking to a friend who had just got back from her race, and she kind of ruined all of my plans.
Chelsea and I drove from a wedding in West Texas to her exit in Oklahoma and I am pretty sure that the only time that we stopped talking about the World Race was just long enough to decide what we wanted to stop and eat for lunch. I was hanging on her every last word of adventures, heartaches, miracles, and new, really big dreams held by herself adn her teammates! I was hooked, but I was scared too. I had a plan, I was going to live in Springfield and work while sending my resume to every church in America until one would hire me. It was what I wanted so bad, it was going to great, it was going to be easy, it was going to be comfortable.
I spent the next couple of weeks praying and praying and reading blog after blog and route after route, and still having no clue what to do. I was scared, this was different. The World Race would be an experience that completely stripped me of my comfortability. I wouldn't know anybody, I wouldn't be able to wash my hair everyday, and all that I would have is a backpack. This would be an adventure unlike any other, and it hit me, I love adventure, i don't mind the unknown, and I could learn how to pack light and not wash my hair. I was going on the world race!
I can't explain how I knew it was right, I just did. God gave me peace about it and so I applied. My friends, family, and many of my mentors were supportive and so excited. My kids at church were so excited too, which means the world to me! I went through the interview process, paid my deposit, and now here I am preparing to pack my backpack and travel the world with the sole purpose of loving people the way that Jesus does. I cannot even believe it!
Excited would be an understatement!
P.S. Thanks Chelsea for ruining all of my plans!
